Key loop holder



April 6, 1965 N. RINALD] 3,176,490

KEY LOOP HOLDER Filed June 7, 1963 United States Patent 3,176,4Q0 KEY LOOP HQLDER Nicholas Rinaldi, Waterbury, Conn., assignor to Scovlll Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Filed June 7, 1963, Ser. No. 286,250 3 Claims. (Cl. 70-456) My invention deals with improvements in key loop holders adapted for the removable mounting of key loops of the type having a shank and an enlarged head at the end of the shank. Such holders generally employ a cylindrical barrel or retainer having transversely extending slots which freely pass the shank, but not wide enough to pass the head, such slots communicating with openings large enough to allow the head of the loop to be inserted or removed. Such openings are usually located in the top portion of the retainer so that it is necessary to swing the key loop all the way around in order to remove it, and of course, the reverse action is necessary in assembling the key lo p.

The purpose of my invention is to provide an improved construction of a key loop holder in which is combined not only some, but all of the desirable features of such a device. These include: automatically-acting locking or securing means, ease of operation in unlocking, easy access to the openings through which the heads of the key loops pass, simplicity and economy of construction, security and strength.

In pursuing these ends, there is utilized a locking member which is telescoped over the cylindrical retainer in such a way that the holes in the locking member can be brought into registry with the front opening holes in the retainer merely by pressing inwardly on the control handle. As soon as such handle is released, the locking member swings around to bring the openings out of register and thus lock the key loops in place.

The construction preferably involves only the use of two members which can be formed from sheet metal with a spring being integral with the base plate and hearing on the locking member. The construction is such that the outside locking member can be telescoped easily over the cylindrical retainer until it is interengaged with the spring whereupon the spring action will swing the locking member to locked position, and at this position, the assembled members have engaging means to lock them against endwise telescopic movement.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing, I have shown for purposes of illustration, one embodiment which the invention may assume in practice. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of a key case equipped with my improved key loop holder and showing one key loop in position;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the holder assembly in locked position with a portion of the locking member broken away;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the assembly;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view showing the back side of the assembly;

FIG. 5 is an end view as seen from the right-hand side of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a similar view, but showing the locking member moved to unlocked position ready to receive a key loop;

FIG. 7 shows the parts separated and in position for telescopic assembly;

FIG. 8 is a development of the sheet metal blank for forming the retaining member; and

FIG. 9 is a developed blank for forming the locking member.

3,176,49h Patented Apr. 6, 1965 My improved key loop holder is adapted for attachment to a key case of leather or the like, having a backing 10 and side flaps 11 and 12. The retaining member has a base plate 13 adapted for attachment to the backing 10 by rivets 14 fitting in holes 15 in the plate.

The upper edge of the base plate is bent forwardly into the shape of a cylindrical portion 16 in which the key loops are retained. In this cylindrical portion, there are a series of transverse slots 17 which as seen in FIG. 8, extend around the major portion of the cylindrical element 16, but terminate short of the free edge 18. This edge 18 is located adjacent to the reverse bend, 19 by which the cylindrical portion 16 is joined to the base plate 13. Intermittent the ends of the slot 17, there are enlargements or holes 20 which open toward the front of the holder as distinguished from being located around either the top or bottom face where it is comparatively inconvenient to insert or remove a key loop.

The key loops themselves are of the common type having a U-shaped hook or bight portion 21, a shank 22 and an enlarged head 23 at the end of the shank. The slots 17, of course, are just wide enough so as to allow the shank 22 to move freely therein while confining the head 23, and the enlarged sections or holes 20 will allow the heads to pass through.

The locking member is also of cylindrical form and is positioned in embracing relation around the tubular cylindrical element 16. This locking member which is generally designated 24, has a series of slots 25 registering with the slots 17, and it will be noted that these slots 25 terminate short of the upper and lower edges 26 and 27 respectively, so that the member is not weakened as it would be if the slots extended through one of the edges. The slots 25 communicate with enlarged openings or holes 28 which in the unlocked position, as shown in FIG. 6, will register with the openings 26 in the retainer element so as to allow insertion or removal of a key loop.

A spring tongue 29 is formed from one edge of the base plate 13 and is shaped to extend upwardly and form a bearing portion 30 at its free end which fits into a slot 31 in the end portion of the locking member. This slot is on the upper side of the holder and the spring tongue is stressed so that it will tend to bear downwardly and swing the locking member in the clockwise direction as viewed from the right-hand side as illustrated in FIG. 5. In this position, it is stopped by abutment against the U-bend 19.

Along the upper free edge 25 of the locking member are a series of notches 32, 33 and 34, as best seen in FIGS. 4 and 9. The retaining member has at the U-bend 19 a pair of lonigtudinally extending slots 35 and 36, leaving only the narrow sections 37, 38 and 39 at the U-bend, which interengage with the notches 34, 33 and 32 respectively, to prevent relative telescopic movement between the parts when in their normal locked position, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The locking member 24 has a convenient handle 4% which is simply an extension of the metal at one end, and in order to release the key loops, it is only necessary to press the handle inwardly so that the locking member pivots around the cylindrical retainer 16 against the tension of spring 29. Of course, as soon as the handle is released, the locking member will automatically snap back into locked position.

In assembling the parts, it is merely necessary to telescope the locking member endwise over the cylindrical retainer 16 from the position shown in FIG. 7 approximately halfway between the locked and unlocked positions of FIGS. 5 and 6 so that the edge portions 26 and 27 do not interfere with the material at the U-bend 19. In this operation, it is necessary to hold the spring 29 upwardly so that it registers with the slot 31. When the end 30 of the spring tongue 29 bottoms in the slot 31 3 and the locking member is released, it will snap into locked position Where the slots 32, 33 and 34 are engaged with the uncut narrow sections 37, 38, and 339 at the U-bend.

In order that the locking member may be as nearly a complete cylinder as possible, there are also notches along the edge 27 leaving two relatively wide metal tongues 41 and 42, so that when the locking member is pushed to open position, these tongues will fit into the slots 35 and 36 in the U-bend.

As a result of the invention, it will be observed that by the use of only two pieces, which are easily made from sheet metal and easily assembled by telescopic action, I have provided an improved key holder possessing the various advantages set forth above.

What I claim is:

l. A key loop holder consisting of a retaining member comprising a base plate and a stationary cylindrical retainer along one edge of and located forwardly of said base plate, a locking member of cylindrical form embracing the cylindrical retainer and being'pivotally movable thereon, said locking member and cylindrical retainer having registering slots to receive the shanks of key loops, each of said slots communicating with an enlarged opening intermediate the ends of the slot, said openings being positioned to be brought into registration for the introduction of the head of a key loop by pivotal movement of said locking member, and a spring tongue struck up from said base plate and having a portion bearing against said movable locking member for automatically moving the locking member so that said enlarged openings are out of registration to lock the heads of the key loops in the slots.

2. A key loop holder as defined in claim 1 wherein said locking member has a slot engaging around the end of said spring tongue.

3. A key loop holder as defined in claim 1 wherein said retaining member is provided with an opening adjacent the juncture of said cylindrical retainer with said base plate, and wherein said locking member is provided with means extending into said opening when the locking member is in locked position for preventing relative telescopic ,movement between the retaining member and locking member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,904,354 4/33 Buxton.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner. 

1. A KEY LOOP HOLDER CONSISTING OF A RETAINING MEMBER COMPRISING A BASE PLATE AND A STATIONARY CYLINDRICAL RETAINER ALONG ONE EDGE OF AND LOCATED FORWARDLY OF SAID BASE PLATE, A LOCKING MEMBER OF CYLINDRICAL FORM EMBRACING THE CYLINDRICAL RETAINER AND BEING PIVOTALLY MOVABLE THEREON, SAID LOCKING MEMBER AND CYLINDRICAL RETAINER HAVING REGISTERING SLOTS TO RECEIVER THE SHANKS OF KEY LOOPS, EACH OF SAID SLOTS COMMUNICATING WITH AN ENLARGED OPENING INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF THE SLOT, SAID OPENINGS BEING POSITIONED TO BE BROUGH INTO REGISTRATION FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF THE HEAD OF A KEY LOOP BY PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LOCKING MEMBER, AND A SPRING TONGUE STRUCK UP FROM 